Hyundai splits from Young Plant

By Mike Travers

Hyundai has severed its Scotland dealership with Young Plant Sales. The franchise will transfer to a north-east business effective from January 1.

Young Plant, Scotland’s most successful multi-franchise dealer, was responsible for establishing the Korean excavators and wheeled loaders north of the border over a 12-year period.

However, it’s understood Hyundai wanted full-line representation, an arrangement that would have created a conflict with Young’s Kubota franchise on which the business was founded 40 years ago. Since then it has sold more than 8,000 new machines and is the Japanese manufacturer’s longest serving mini excavator dealer in the UK. It has also been the biggest supplier of minis worldwide on five occasions.

The break comes just weeks after Doune-based Young opened a new depot in Inverness. It said it will continue to provide after-sales support including handling warranty claims, equipment servicing and parts sales to existing Hyundai customers.

Managing director Brian Young told Scottish Plant: “Although this development sees the removal of one brand from our product portfolio, it does allow us to focus on the premium Kobelco product that is proving to be very popular and complements our other market-leading brands.”

Molson Group, Young’s parent company, will continue to sell the Hyundai brand in England and Wales. Both operations sell Kobelco’s heavy line excavators while Molson also sells that manufacturer’s minis in England and Wales.

The new dealer is Agritrac Plant, part of Aberdeenshire agricultural equipment specialist HRN Tractors which was founded by Harry Barclay and son Neil in 1980. It began by selling used machinery to home and export markets before acquiring a John Deere dealership. It is now a multi-franchise business with depots stretching from Perth to Caithness as well as its Agritrac Exports business, headed by Neil’s son Stuart, operating from Stirling. The company is also involved in used plant sales.

Leigh Dalgleish, a former Hyundai sales executive at Young Plant and more recently construction sales manager for Bobcat distributor John H. McNae, will join the new dealer in January.

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